Club Meeting: Dick Pyle on Partnering for Peace
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18 Mar 2019 |
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 Austin University Area
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Dick Pyle, Ph.D.,will talk to us about the close relationship between Rotary and the Peace Corps, including the work of Partnering for Peace which bridges the two organizations. Dick was instrumental in the creation of Partnering for Peace.
Since serving as a 60’s Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica, Dick Pyle has worked to establish connections with Rotary and Peace Corps. Because of his work in academia as a Dean of Students, Director of Counseling and faculty member coupled with his 40 years of Rotary membership he has either personally developed or inspired numerous short term service programs to his Peace Corps village. Consequently, over a 1000 students have had a one to two-week cross-cultural learning experience modeled after the Peace Corps and under the joint sponsorship of Rotary in the US and Jamaica. Most of this took place during his time at The University of Texas and his membership and presidency of the NW Austin Rotary Club.
Dick left Austin in 2002 to go to work at Peace Corps headquarters as a psychologist supporting PCV’s in the field with their emotional and trauma challenges. His membership with Rotary continued with the D.C. Rotary Club and with his Peace Corps agency connection he was instrumental in developing a recently signed partnership with Rotary International and Peace Corps. Today we will have an opportunity to gain greater understanding of the Peace Corps while learning about this partnership with Rotary.
Dick has a Ph.D. from the University of Florida and an undergraduate degree from William Jewell College. He has worked in several colleges and universities with the most recent being at UT. Besides his PCV experience he directed the Peace Corps Latin America Training Center in Puerto Rico in the early 70’s, directed Peace Corps operations in the Eastern Caribbean while living in St. Lucia in the early 90’s and served as the chairman of the board of the Peace Corps Alumni association in the late 90’s.
Dick and his wife Betty served together as Peace Corps Volunteers. Betty is with us today. They have 4 children and 4 grandchildren and maintain a condo here in Austin to be close to their son and his family during the winter months. And to get out of the cold of the D.C. area to play tennis outdoors!!